PCWorld Sep-14

Tech and trends that will affect you today and beyond. SOME OF THOSE people seeking to scrub their histories from the Web under Europe’s recently implemented “right to be forgotten” rule are being economical with the truth when making their requests, Google says. In a July 31 letter to European data regulators (go.pcworld.com/ forgotten), Google lists some of the challenges it faces in complying with the ruling, which allows individuals to compel search engines such as Google and Bing to remove links to pages that mention their name if the references are “inadequate,” “irrelevant,” or “excessive.” Unreliable information Part of the problem is that in deciding whether to grant or reject a request, Google must often rely on information the requester submits. “Some requests turn out to have been made with false and inaccurate information,”…

IN LATE JULY, Microsoft updated its three Office for iPad apps—Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—with new features, including PDF export, presentation views, and a new flick gesture. The three apps are now upgraded to version 1.1 in the Apple App Store. Microsoft announced Office for iPad in March, and the elegant port of the office suite has so far received (mostly) glowing reviews. “Millions” of users have downloaded the apps, according to a blog post (go.pcworld.com/offipadblog) by Microsoft’s Office team. While Excel and PowerPoint each received their own unique updates, all three apps gained several common features, including the frequently requested ability to export documents as PDF files. In addition, you can manually crop photos and images in all three apps using a new crop tool that allows you to choose from a…

ON AUGUST 1, President Barack Obama signed into law (go.pcworld.com/whunlock) a bill that allows U.S. citizens to unlock their phones. That means you can take your mobile device, no matter which carrier subsidized it, and move it to a competing carrier. In late July the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan bill, after approval by the Senate. Unlocking phones had become illegal in January 2013, when an exemption to the DMCA expired. There is a bit of a catch, however: The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, as it’s called, is valid only through 2015. For now, it ensures that you have a choice in matters regarding your mobile device, as long as your phone is compatible with another carrier’s network and you’ve complied with your previous contract. And if…

MORE THAN TWO and a half months after the Surface Pro 3’s debut, all of its variants are finally available: Following the June 20 launch of the Core i5 versions, on August 1 the Core i3 and Core i7 editions of Microsoft’s new laptop-replacing tablet hit the streets. Shipping notifications for preorders landed in inboxes soon afterward. You can waltz into a Microsoft Store to pick up one of the new models, too. Beautiful display, good battery life PCWorld Senior Editor Mark Hachman found a lot to like in the Core i5 version of the Surface Pro 3, awarding it 4 out of 5 stars in his review (go.pcworld.com/surpro3rev). In particular, he applauded the larger, gorgeous 12-inch display; the more ergonomic kickstand and Type Cover connection mechanism; and the battery life, which…

MICROSOFT’S WINDOWS PHONE 8.1 Update 1 started rolling out in early August, but don’t get excited. Windows Phone 8.1 deserved a lot of attention, but I can’t say the same for Update 1, which I tried on my Lumia 1520 phablet (the update wasn’t available yet for our Nokia Icon test phone). It adds a nice feature or two, but nothing earth-shattering. Download and installation took about 20 minutes or so, after which the OS reported itself as version 8.10.14147.180. Update 1 consists of several minor tweaks. A couple of them, namely an updated Windows Phone Store tile and the new ability to forward and delete SMS messages in bulk, are simple additions that you’ll quickly forget about. Others—the addition of folders and VPN support, an update to the Xbox Music app,…

AN IMAGE OF an HTC One M8 running the Windows Phone operating system is currently on the Verizon Wireless site, providing compelling evidence that the company plans to sell the phone. The URL of the image on the Verizon site identifies the hardware as the “HTC M8 Windows” phone. HTC is slated to hold a media event in New York shortly before you read this, and rumors are indicating that the company plans to unveil a Windows Phone 8.1–powered version of its HTC One M8, one of the best-regarded Android phones released this year. The Verizon image appears to be proof that the handset will in fact come to market. Apparently the HTC Windows Phone is a rebadging of the Android-powered One M8, and it will be running Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1.…